Compressed-air-controlling mechanism



Oct. 22, 1929. F. FAUD] 1,732,717

COMPRESSED AIR CONTROLLING MECHANISH Filed March 15, 1928 INVENTD fit? finds mm RN EYE Patented Get. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFI'CE FRITZ FAUDI, OF SOMMERDA, GERMANY, ASSIGIQ'UR 0F ONE-HALF TO BHEINISCI-IE METALLWAAREN- UNI) MASGI'IINENIEABRIK'SQIVIMERDA AKTIENG-ESELLSCHAFT, OF

SOMMERDA THURINGIA, GERMANY COMPRESSED'AIR-CONTROLLING MECHANIQM Application filed March 15, 1928, Serial No. 261,755, and in Germany May 31, 1927.

The invention relates to means for controlling the production of compressed air which is used in automobiles to feed the air brake and the shock absorbers. In motor vehicles equipped with air brakes and air shock absorbers the compressed air required by these devices is produced and replenished by means of a compressor which when necessary is coupled to the motor of the vehicle to be driven thereby. The coupling and uncoupling of the motor and compressor are usually effected automatically by means of a separate controlling mechanism operating in response to the pressure existing in the air tank. The controlling mechanisms hitherto proposed usually included a piston movable in response to the pressure in the air tank 8 to a spring and operating upon fall of the air pressure in the tank below a predetermined minimum to couple the compressor with the motor and also effecting release of such coupling when the normal operating pressure is reached in the tank.

The present invention has for its object to provide a controlling mechanism adapted to effect coupling and uncoupling of the compressor with the motor, both automatically and suddenly in a safe and reliable manner and at the same time to provide a mechanism of this kind having the largest possible interval between the controlling pressures (i. e. between the maximum and minimum pressures) whereby the necessity of rather frequent coupling and uncoupling of the compressor is avoided, so that the wear on the mechanism is reduced to a minimum.

In accordance with my invention the con trolling mechanism includes a piston movable under the action of both the pressure prevailing in the air tank and a spring the pis ton, upon fall of the pressure to a predetermined minin'ium operating to release a look ing mechanism which holds the compressor motor coupling in inoperative position and permitting the coupling to be thrown in under the action of a spring associated therewith. The controlling mechanism includes also a second piston operatively connected to the coupling, which piston, upon rise of the pressure in the air tank to a predetermined maximum, is subjected to such pressure through suitable automatic valve mechanism and thereupon operates to disengage the coupling and thus disconnect the compressor from the motor.

In order to allow of my invention to be more easily understood, a preferred embodiment of same is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification. In this drawing:

Figure 1 shows the automatically operating controlling device with the motor-compressor coupling in engaged position, whilst Figure 2 shows the device with this coupling in disengaged position.

a denotes the motor of the car and Z) the compressor serving to generate the compressed air stored up in the tank a. The compressor is connected with the tank 0 by pipe 0 The motor a and the compressor b are coupled with one another e. g. by a friction clutch adapted to be thrown in and out during the run of the motor a. The driving motor shaft c has mounted on it the one half al of the clutch, the other half (Z of which is fixed on shaft 6 that leads to the compressor 6 and may be shifted longitudinally. A spring (Z interposed between the two halves (Z d of the clutch tends to establish their operative position. A throw-out lever 6 engaged between two collars of shaft 6 as shown, is fixed on a shaft 6 which has a rest 6 If the clutch (Z (Z is disengaged, a spring-loaded locking member f enters the rest- 6 of shaft 0 and. secures the clutch in disengaged position.

The automatic throw-in device 9 comprises a compressed air cylinder 9 which is in connection with the compressed air tank 0 by a pipe 0 A spring-loaded piston 9 is lodged in cylinder (/1 and has a rear stem carrying an inclined cam face 9 adapted to so 7 co-operate with a counter face A provided on the locking member 7, that with a determined position of the piston 9 the locking member f is lifted out of the rest (2 of shaft 6, and the two halves (Z (Z of the clutch are thrown into gear by spring (Z A passage g leads from the compressed air cylinder 9 of the throw-in device to the auto- 'is lo d-ged'in the compressed air cylinder 71 the stem of. which piston is hingedly connected to a hand-lever e rigid on lever shaft through the intermediary of a link h A double-armed lever imounted forrocking motion on a fixed journal 2', establishes ,the connection between the throw-in device ,gland the throw-out device. it. To this end :thegleveni gispivotally connected to the stem c1 f ;pisto n g ofthethroW-in device 9 andpositively acts upon the stems of the air inlet .valve piston h andithe air outlet piston valve v1L ,if;the,pistong assumes its end positions, gin sa ch ,a ,manner, 1 that alternately one of ,thesjetwo valvesZpJg-is opened.

.The hand' l ever e is provided-witha throwout mechanism e, 6 of anyknown design that servesrtoilift theilocking member 7" out oftheirest e -of -the shaft gin order to throw the clutch d, d into I or out of gear inde .pendentglyqof the automatically operating controlling device ,g{h-by= humanagency, that is'gby ha-ndorifoot manipulation.

In describingthe mode of operation of the described controlling arrangement ;it may be assumed-that-the compressed airitank 0 isrexhausted and should be re-loadedup to normal service pressure-of e. g. 30.,atmos- .pheresby meansof the compressor 79. In this stage the ,piston g Figure 1, of the i throw-in device g has assumed its right-hand =;en d;position in the cylinder 9 under the ZIQtIlOII-rQf lhS (spring, and it hasqlifted by its camiface g thejlockingmember 7' outof the .lfestxe oflshaft e, sothat the clutch (Z, d, has

' .vbeen ithrown into gear sud denly, but not gradually, 'under'the action of spring (Z the shafteexecuting at the same time a rocking pressed .air tank 0.

motion in clockwise direction. The double lever. zlis in a; position such as to abut with its free -arm on a nose of the stem of outlet valve la, ihg and hasopened this valve. Now .upon

' the motorxa of the car being started, it drives the compressor. b-which loads up the com- With the pressure increasing in tank 0, the pressure prevailing in the cylinder .7 9 f; the throw-in device 9 in- :creasestoo, so, that-the pistong is gradually shiftedoutwa-rd against theactionof its spring 1 into its ileftrhand end position.

WVhen this takes place, the outlet valve h yis closed:underaitscspring action, and the cam face '9 of the-piston member 9 releases the locking member f, so that this .latteris again ready to engage the'rest e of the shaft 0.

- T When the pressurein tank-alias reached up to service pressure of atmospheres the piston 9 has has been shifted so far against the action of its spring, that the lever 71 takes with it the piston h, of inlet valve it, of the throwout device it and opens valve 7L1. Compressed air thus enters the cylinder fill and pushes the piston h, outward, which through the'intermediary of the levers 0 0, suddenly throws at once" the -motor-compressor 1 clutch (Z, (Z, out of gear and-thus disconnects the compressor Z) from motor a. :The locking member 7 engages the rest 0 of shaft 0 and secures the clutch half (Z, in thrown-out position,.see Figure 2.

Now the inlet valve h, of the throw-out device h atfirst persistsin open position and ,the outlet valve 7L5 under springnction in closed position, until withtlie subsequent decreaseof the pressure intank a due toconsumption of, compressed air by braking or by re-filling .the .shock absorber cylinders the piston of the throw-in device gis gradually shifted backinto the cylinder by its spring. .When this takes place, thepiston Z of. air inlet valve h is released by lever i vand this valve is closed by its spring. Before reaching,itsright-hand endposition in cylinder 9 ,:which is the case with apressure of about 10 atmospheres in tank 0, the piston opens the outlet valve h h by means of lever ,i, so that the air enclosed in;chamber [L3 es- ;capes. The valve 7L5 remains open until the clutch (Z (Z automatically has been thrown in again upon the pressure in tank 0 decreasing below the lowermost admissible amount, ,vizlO atmospheres so thatthe piston b could rho-shifted again into the cylinder h witl1out any compression taking place therein.

hat, I claim is:

1. Ina motor vehicle, in combination, a motor, a compressor adaptedto bedriven -thereby,-an air tank, a disengageable clutch interposed between saidmotor and compressor, a spring adapted to throw said clutch into gear, a lock adapted to preventsaidspring from throwing in said clutch, a piston adapted to .be shifted under the action of the air pressure generated by said compressor, a spring operative to shift said piston in an opposite direction upon decrease of the air pressure below a predetermined amount, means for operatively connecting said piston with said lock and. movable to set the latter into .locking and unlocking position, respectively, ,uponsaid piston beingshifted by the air under'pressureand reshifted by its spring, .a-second .pistonadapted to be shifted by the air under pressure uponthe latter exceeding ;apredeterminedzamount, and means for connecting said last-named piston with said clutch and? for throwing the latter out upon said last-named piston-being so shifted.

'2.In a motor vehicle, in. combination, a motor, a compressor adapted to be driven thereby, ans-air tank, a disengageable clutch n r we) interposed between said motor and compressor, a spring adapted to throw said clutch into gear, a lock adapted to prevent said. spring from throwing in said clutch, a piston adapted to be shifted under the action of the air pressure generated by said compressor, a spring operative to shift said piston in an opposite direction upon decrease of the air pressure below a predetermined amount, means for operatively connecting said piston with said lock and movable to set the latter into locking and unlocking position, respectively, upon said piston being shifted by the air under pressure and reshifted by its spring, a second piston adapted to be shifted by the air under pressure upon the latter exceeding a predetermined amount, means for connecting said last named piston with said clutch and for throwing the latter out upon said last named piston being so shifted, an outlet valve for the air actuating said last named piston, and means operative upon the throwing in of the clutch for opening said outlet valve.

3. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a motor, a compressor adapted to be driven thereby, an air tank, a disengageable clutch interposed between said motor and compressor, a spring adapted to throw said clutch into gear, a lock adapted to prevent said spring from throwing in said clutch, a piston adapted to be shifted under the action of the air under pressure generated by said compressor, a spring operative to shift said piston in an opposite direction upon decrease of the air pressure below a predetermined amount, means for operatively connecting said piston with said lock and movable to set the latter into locking and unlocking position, respectively, upon said piston being shifted by the air under pressure and reshifted by its spring, a second piston adapted to be shifted by the airunder pressure upon the .atter exceeding a predetermined amount, means for connecting said last named piston with said clutch and for throwing the latter out upon said last named piston being so shifted, an outlet valve for the air actuating said last named piston, and means operable to open said valve upon movement of said first named piston to throw in said clutch.

i. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a motor, a compressor adapted to be driven thereby, an air tank, a disengageable clutch interposed between said motor and compressor, a spring adapted to throw said clutch into gear, a lock adapted to prevent said spring from throwing in said clutch, a piston adapted to be shifted under the action of the air under pressure generated by said compressor, a spring operative to shift said piston in an opposite direction upon decrease of the air pressure below a predetermined amount, means for operatively connecting said piston with said lock and movable to set the latter into locking and unlocking position, re-

spectively, upon said piston being shifted by the air under pressure and reshifted by its spring, a second piston adapted to be shifted by the air under pressure, a valve adapted to supply compressed air to said last named piston to shift the same upon the air pressure reaching the highest permissible amount, means for connecting said last named piston with said clutch and for throwing the latter out when such piston is so shifted, and means operable upon movement of said first named piston for opening said valve upon the air pressure reaching its highest permissible amount.

5. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a motor, compressor adapted to be driven thereby, an air tank, a disengageable clutch interposed between said motor and compressor, a spring adapted to prevent said clutch into gear, a lock adapted to prevent said spring from throwing in said clutch, a piston adapted to be shifted under the action of the air under pressure generated by said compressor, a spring operative to shift said piston in an opposite direction upon decrease of the air pressure below a predetermined amount, means for operatively connecting said piston with said lock and movable to set the lat-- ter into locking and unlocking position, respectively, upon said piston being shifted by the air under pressure and reshifted by its spring, a second piston adapted to be shifted by the air under pressure upon the latter exceeding a predetermined amount, means for connecting said last named piston with saidclutch and for throwing the latter out when such piston is so shifted, and a manually operable lever for throwing said clutch in and out independently of said pistons.

6. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a motor, a compressor adapted to be driven thereby, an air tank, a disengageable clutch interposed between said motor and compressor, a spring adapted to throw said clutch into gear, a lock adapted to prevent said spring from throwing in said clutch, a piston adapted to be shifted under the action of the air under pressure generated by said compressor, a spring operative to shift said piston in an opposite direction upon the de crease of the air pressure below a predetermined amount, means for operatively connecting said piston with said lock and movable to set the latter into locking and unlocking position upon said piston being shifted by the air under pressure and reshifted by its spring, a second piston adapted to be shifted by the air under pressure, a valve adapted to supply compressed air to said lastnamed piston to shift the same upon the air pressure reaching the highest permissible amount, means for connecting said last named piston with said clutch and for throwing the latter out when such piston is so shifted, an outlet valve for the air actuating said last named lit) p itfon, means operable ilpon movement of said-firtnamed piston fol-opening said outlet valve upon throwing in of said clu tch, and

a manually operable lever fol: throwing said 5 clutchfin and :out independently of said pistons. y

, In tes timony her'eof IhaVe aflixed my signature. H H

FRITZ 'FA'UDI. 

